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PAMBAZUKA
NEWS: A Weekly Electronic Forum For Social Justice In Africa Nearly 2000 people from across Africa and the world, including women and children’s rights champion Graca Machel, have signed the petition in support of women’s rights. The petition can be
signed by sending a text message, by email or online. The purpose of the petition is to urge African
governments to ratify the African Union’s Protocol on the Rights of Women in
Africa, which offers significant guarantees to the rights of women. So far five
countries (The Comoros, Lesotho, Libya,
Rwanda and Namibia) have ratified, although it is thought that several other
countries will soon join the list of those who have ratified. You can demonstrate to African governments and the African Union that there is a groundswell of support for the protocol by signing this petition. Make your mark for the protection and promotion of women’s rights in Africa, sign the petition now! Sign the petition by: - Sending a text message from your mobile phone to + 27 832 933934 with the word petition and your name in the message - Signing the petition online at http://www.pambazuka.org/petition -
Sending an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with your name and
email address -
You can also collect handwritten signatures
and email them to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MORE ABOUT THE
PETITION The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was adopted by the African Union on 11 July 2003. To enter into force, 15 African countries have to ratify the protocol. Ideally, every African country should ratify the protocol, as each one that does so will be legally bound by its provisions. Failure to ratify it will mean that women in Africa will once again be denied access to a comprehensive legal framework for exercising their rights. The pan-African campaign to mobilise support for the ratification of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of women in Africa was initiated by the women’s rights organisations Equality Now and FEMNET, together with Credo for Freedom of _expression_ and Associated Rights, Oxfam GB and Fahamu, the publishers of Pambazuka News. As part of this campaign, Fahamu is running a petition to collect signatures in support of the ratification of the protocol. ABOUT THE PROTOCOL: - Every woman will be guaranteed the right to peace. States must ensure the full participation of women in conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation - The protocol calls for education to end harmful practices and stereotypes that adversely affect women - States will adopt measures to promote equality of access to employment; promote the right to equal pay for jobs of equal value; ensure transparency in recruitment, promotion and dismissal of women; and punish sexual harassment in the workplace - The reproductive rights of women must be protected through access to abortion in certain circumstances - States will be required to guarantee equal opportunity and access for women to education and training - Governments are obliged to promote the participation of women in governance * You can download the Protocol on the Rights of Women in full at: http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/1/protocol.pdf * Sign up for free SMS alerts about the campaign and the protocol: http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/alerts.php ********************************************************************* PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!!!!!PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!!!!! Want
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